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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. bass — low music
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. drill — army training
  6. drill — a practice
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. bass — the fish
  11. club — a group
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. chair — a leader
  14. club — for dancing
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. pound — a weight
  18. drill — the tool
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. club — for golf
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. patient — a sick person

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com